Reproducer arm actuator



Dec- 15, 1942 A. R. JOHNSON 2,305,685

REPRODUCER ARM AGTUATOR Filed Aug. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Dec. 15, 1942. lA, R, JcHNgoN 2,305,086

REPRODUCER ARM ACTUATOR Filed Aug. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 8^ yIllus3 33 .Ill

INVENTOR.

v NDREw R. J HNso/v.v BY (1 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 15, 1942 RPRODUCER ARM ACTUATOR Andrew R.. Johnson,Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Informat Company, Chicago, Ill., acorporation 0f Illinois Application August 6, 1941, Serial No. l105,613

7 Claims.

This invention relates to record reproducers and more particularly tocontrols and actuators therefor, although certain features thereof maybe employed with equal advantage for other purposes.

It contemplates more especially a reproducer control of simple andinexpensive construction that will mechanically eiect engagement anddisengagement of a reproducer needle relative to the recordings on arecord irrespective of the experience or care exercised by the operator.

Recordings of records are extensively used for entertainment andadvertising purposes and reproducers are no w produced and sold on avolume basis for both home and commercial use. In the commercial eld,reproducers are utilized to a great extent for advertising purposes.This entails the provision of instrumentalities for enabling thereproduction of recordings at the will of the public who are invited tooperate mechanical reproducers for information and advertising purposes.normally accompanied with a large depreciation in records andreproducing instrumentalities owing to the haphazard operation orindifference exercised by the public.

In order to provide reproduction facilities for the public,instrumentalities for this purpose must be injury and trouble free sothat operation at the hands of inexperienced or indifferent members ofthe public, cannot result in improper actuation. To this end, it hasbeen found desirable to provide simple and inexpensive reproduceractuators that mechanically effect engagement and disengagement of therecordings with the reproducer needle in a mechanically perfect mannerthrough an accessible control that will effect the desired operationwithout variation.

Mechanical operation of the reproducer arm and the recording actuatingneedle or stylus, is mechanically effected and the attendant merelyplaced these instrumentalities into operation through actuation of acontrol. This eliminates any possible defective engagement ordisengagement that would cause injury to the record or the reproducer or.both so that trouble-free operation over an extended period of timewithout entailing any appreciable supervision or replacement isaccomplished.

One object of the present invention is to simf plify the constructionand improve the operation of devices of the character mentioned.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanical control and actuatorfor a reproducer to mechanically effect engagement and disen- This eldof record reproduction isp ings thereon.

Still a further object is to provide actuating instrumentalitiesinvolving a manual control in combination with camming means to effectengagement and disengagement between a reproducer and recordings on arecord.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionof an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front View in elevation of a repro-l t along line V-V ofFigure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lineVI--VI of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VII-VII ofFigure 3.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VIII-VIII ofFigure 4.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IX-IX ofFigure 3.

Figure 10 is a sectional View taken substantially along line X-X ofFigure 3.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a tubular camming sleeve comprisingan element of the actuator control shown in the preceding gures.

Figure 12 is a perspectve view of a cam follower for the cam shown inFigure 11.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lineXIII- XIII of Figure 4.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along lineXIV-XIV of Figure 3.

The structure selected for illustration cornprises any suitable cabineti having a speaker opening II therein.V The cabinet l0 is closed on allsides except the rear through which the instrumentalities are accessiblefor placement in the chambered interior I2 or replacement for servicingor maintenance. A chassis comprising a base plate I3 conforms to thebottom I4 of the chambered interior I2 of the cabinet I0 to serve as asupport for the instrumentalities to be hereinafter described, The baseplate I3 has a plurality of standards I5 extending upwardly therefrom tosupport a plate Iii.

The plate I3 has a bearing bracket E1 attached to the underside thereoffor attachment of a vertical motor I8 that is suspended therefrom sothat its shaft I3 is jcurnalled for rotation therein and through thesupporting plate I6. The upper projecting portion of the verticalarmature shaft I3 has a circular record supporting disc 2li connectedfc-r rotation therewith responsive to the energization of the electricmotor I8 through a cord extension I8.having a piug (not shown) servingas a complement of a standard electric light socket.

The top surface of the record supporting disc 2i) is suitably lined withfelt or other soft material to support a record 2i thereon for rotationowing to the frictional retention thereof without marring on thesuitably lined top surface of the rotating disc 25. A loud speaker 22 ofany suitable or standard construction is mounted behind the screenedopening II in the cabinet I5 to direct the sound reproductiontherethrough and emanation into the room wherein the cabinet I0 ispositioned.

A reproducer 23 of any suitable or standard construction is pivotallymounted for Vertical movement on a transverse pin 2d proximate to therear end thereof. A counterweight 23 is detachably secured to the rearend of the reproducer 23 by means of a threaded stud 23 (Figure 3) sothat the weight of the forward portion thereof will normally gravitatethe reproducer 23 in a clockwise direction (viewed from Figure 8). Thereproducer 23 is also pivotally mounted for horizontal movement so thatthe reproducing needle or stylus 25 proximate to the forward end 23thereof will be in confronting er operative connection with the record2i to traverse the recordings thereon in light frictional engagementtherewith,

A set screw 21 preferably extends through the forward end 23 of thereproducer 23 to enable the removal of the reproducing needle or stylus25 as well as effect its retention for operative frictional engagementwith the recordings on the record 2 i It is to be noted'that thedetachable counterweightA 23 enables the balancing-of the reproducer 23to establish light or almost floating en'- gagement between the stylus25 and the recordings on the record 2i. The detachable counterweight 23enables the desired counter-balancing effect within a wide rangedepending upon the requirements of any particular installation or typeof reproducer 23.

The pin 2d serving as a vertical pivotal mount `of the reproducer 23, iscarried by the upper extremity 28 of a post 23 that is telescopicallymounted for reciprocation and rotation in a tubular upper portion 3i) ofa post 3i. The solid post portion 3| terminates in a lower reducedextension 32 that is tted in a correspondingly apertured plate 33. A setscrew 34 projects through the bottom of the plate 33 to engage anangular shoulder 35 dened by the reduced lower post extremity 32 (Figure7). The plate 33 is fixed to another plate 34' comprising a part of theplate i3 (Figure 3).

So that the reproducer 23 may be lowered or elevated for engagement ordisengagement between its stylus 25 and the recordings on the record 2i,a bell crank lever 36 is pivoted as at 3l intermediate its arms 38 and39. To this end, a pin i2 is carried between radially extendingfurcations 4l (Figure 8) comprising a part of a collar d2 which ispressed onto the upper tubular portion 30 of the post 3i to pivotallysupport the crank lever 36 therebetween. The crank lever arm 33terminates in a rounded extremity i3 to engage a plate f3 extendingtransversely through correspondingly sized notches i5 provided in thelower edges i6-dl (Figures 8 and i0) of the reproducer 23.

As shown, the lever `arm engaging plate 45 has an inclined slot i8(Figure 10) therein so that registry will be effected with the lever armengaging extremity 43 when the reproducer 23 is in its extreme initialposition of rotation at the terminus of the recording on the record 2|,this position of registry corresponding to the extreme pivotalhorizontal displacement of the reproducer 23 in its starting position.As a result, the inclined slot I8 will serve as an indexing expedientfor the reprcducer 23. The plate It is adjustably retained in the slot25 by a threaded stud 48 which projects through the reproducer 23 forthreaded engagement therewith. This permits the plate d to be raised orlowered within the limit of the slot i5 to control the extent ofcoaction with the camming edge 43 of the bell crank lever arm 39.

In order to control the vertical and horizontal .movement of thereproducer 23 responsive to manual actuation, a tubular cam or sleeve 49is telescoped over the upper tubular portion 30 of the post 3I forslidable movement relative thereto. It should be noted that the tubularcam or sleeve 49 is vertically supported by a coil spring 55 thatenvelops the lower solid portion of the post 3|. The coil spring 50 issupported on the plate 33 serving as a base for the post 3l, and thespring 5l] in turn supports the tubular cam or sleeve 49 so that it willbe normally urged upwardly.

The tubular cam or sleeve 49 is provided, in this instance, with asubstantially U-shaped cutout 5I in the wall thereof to accommodate atransversely extending tubular pin 52 which receives an annular enlargedportion 53 and a pin detent 5d that extends radially through the post 28and through a radial aperture 55 in the upper tubular portion 35 of thepost 3! (Figure 5) The pin detent 5d normally projects into an inclinedslot 53 (Figures 5 and ll) provided in the tubular cam or sleeve 49.

The pin detent 5d is normally urged outwardly from the center of thepost 28, and to return the reproducer 23 is in registry with theinclined camming slot 56 by virtue of a coil spring 51 that is connedwithin the transverse tubular pin 52 (Figure 5). The spring 5l isretained in the tubular transverse pin 52 by a rod 58 whichdiametrically extends through the free extremity thereof. The other endof the spring 5l engages the enlarged shoulder 53 of the pin detent 54to normally urge the latter outwardly. The pin detent 54 is retainedagainst rotary movement within the tubular pin 52 by means of a radiallyprojecting stud 59 that is anchored in the enlarged annular shoulder 53(Figure 12) to register with a correspondingly sized elongated slot 60provided in the tubular pin 52 to prevent relative rotation therebetweenand serve as a limit for the reciprocally mounted pin detent 54 there-1n.

The pin detent 54 has a longitudinal ridge 6l provided thereon, it beingformed by converging at sides 62-63 (Figure 12) milled or otherwiseformed on the pin detent 54 to provide a proper camming edge incooperation with the tapered longitudinal edge 64 of the inclined slot56 provided in the tubular cam 49. Another pin 65 projects laterallyfrom the lower portion of the post 29 at substantially right angles tothe pin detent 54 and in the plane thereof to register with a verticalslot 66 provided in the tubular cam 49.

It should be noted that the lower arm 36 of the bell crank lever 36cooperates with the tubular cam 49 so that the top rounded peripheraledge 61 thereof will ride below the bell crank lever 36 with its lowerarm 33 displaced in a counterclockwise direction (viewed from Figure 8)responsive to the upward vertical movement of the tubular cam 49. Thebell crank lever arm 39 is correspondingly displaced to elevate thereproducer 23 from engagement with the recordings on the record 2 l.This normally takes place through the influence of the spring 59 thatelevates the tubular cam 49 unless the latter is depressed downwardlyresponsive to a mechanical actuator which will be presently described.

The mechanical actuator comprises, in this instance, a button 68 securedto the extremity of the elongated rod 69 that projects through asomewhat larger aperture 16 in the front face board 1| of the cabinetl0. A circular plate 12 having an axial bore 13 therethrough toreciprocally receive the actuator rod 69, is secured to the innersurface of the cabinet face board 1l so that the bore 13 thereof is inaxial alignment with the opening 19 in the baseboard 1| of the cabinetlll. Suitable fasteners such as a plurality of screws 14 are utilized toattach the circular plate 12 to the inner surface of the face board 1|in order ito serve as a reciprocal guide for the actuator rod 69.

The actuator rod 69 terminates inwardly in a furcated collar member .15to receive therebetween an arm 15 of a bell crank lever 11. A pivot 18projects through the furcated collar 15 to pivotally connect the bellcrank lever arm 16 therewith. The bell crank lever 11 has an angularlyoffset arm 19 extending therefrom so that a substantially U-shaped slot89 in the extremity thereof will register with a transverse pin 8|anchored in the tubular cam or sleeve 49 (Figure 6). The transverse pin8l preferably is in press-fitted engagement with a somewhat smalleraperture 82 provided in the tubular cam or sleeve 49 to rigidly projectinto the U-shaped slot, 80 in the extremity of the crank lever arm 19.The crank lever 11 is pivotally supported intermediate its arms 16-19 bya post 83 having a reduced upper furcated extremity 34 through which thecrank lever 11 extends.

A pivot pin 85 extends through the furcated extremity 84 to engage thecrank lever 11 in order to effect its pivotal support relative to thebase plate 33 wherein the supporting post 83 is anchored. As a result,inward displacement of the actuator rod `69 responsive to ngerdepression of the knob 68 will pivot the bell crank lever 11 in aclockwise direction (viewed from Figure 4) to eifect the descent of thetubular cam 49 against the urge of the spring 50. This will cause thebell crank lever 36 to ride off of the tubular cam 49 and permit thereproducer 23 to gravitate downwardly toward the record 2l in aclockwise direction (viewed from Figures 3 and 8) so that the stylus 25will lightly engage the recordings on the record 2l at the outerstarting convolution thereof proximate to the periphery thereof.

'Ihe reproducer 23 will follow the convolute recordings on the record 2land thus horizontally pivot about its post 29 which will rotatetherewith in a counterclockwise direction (viewed from Figure 14)relative to the tubular cam 49. This pivotal movement proceeds until theinward traverse of the reproducer 23 and its stylus 25 reaches theterminus of the recordings proximate to the axis of the record 2i. Thiswill cause the pin detent 54 to recede within its tubular sleeve 52against the urge of the spring 51 owing to the camming of the detentedge 6l with the tapered surface 64 of the inclined slot 56.

The post pin 65 rides the vertical tubular cam slot 66 during thisoperation and relative movenient of the coacting elements to. precluderotation of the tubular cam 49 and its inner post 3i) relative to thereproducer supporting post 29. The angular openings 5I and 5| in thetubular cam 49 and the post 30 (Figures 5 and 14) provide for the rotarymovement of the detent spring confining spring 52 with the reproducersupporting post 29.

Coincident with the arrival of the reproducer 23 and the stylus 25 atthe terminus of the convolutions of the records 2l, the pin detent 54will reach the top edge 61 of the tubular cam 49 at its juncture withthe inclined slot 56, and then the tubular cam supporting spring 50 willbecome operative to raise the tubular cam 49 which will effect thedisplacement of the pin detent 54 along the inclined cam slot 56 andthus return the reproducer 23 and the stylus 25 to its initial elevatedinoperative position.

It should be observed that as the tubular cam 49 is elevated, the arm 38of the bell crank lever 3-5 again rides thereover to raise thereproducer 23 so that its stylus 25 will be disengaged from therecordings on the record 2| just prior to the return pivotal movement ofthe reproducer 23 occasioned by the urge of the pin detent 54 and theinclined slot 56. During this return movement of the reproducer 23, thepin detent 54 is free to move outwardly under the urge of its spring 51to project within the inclined slot 56 to accomplish the return movementsimultaneous with the vertical displacement of the tubular cam 49 underthe urge of its supporting spring 50.

The electric motor I8 is energized simultaneous with the descent of thetubular cam 49 which is eifectecl by the depression of the manualcontrol knobs 68. To this end, the chassis I3 curves upwardly as at 86to support an electric switch casing 81. The electric switch casing 81covers confronting terminals which are actuated by a contact button 88projecting therefrom in the path of a fiat spring 89 that is anchored atone extremity 9D to the switch casing 81. As shown, the flat springswitch actuator 89 projects beyond the contact button 88 to extend intothe path of the crank lever arm 19.

Consequently, the depression of the manual control knob 68 displaces thebell crank lever 'Il in a clockwise direction (viewed from Figure 4) tosimultaneously depress the flat spring switch 39 and correspondinglyeifect the descent of the contact switch button 88 to close the circuitto the motor I8 through the lead wires I8 that places the switch 8l inseries with the motor i3. Coincident with the elevated displacement ofthe tubular cam 49 responsive to its supporting spring i?, the flatspring 89 will recede to its original position and permit the switchcontact button 38 to move to its inoperative position to break thecircuit to the motor I8.

It should be appreciated, therefore, that the motor iS is energized andde-energized simultaneously with the actuation of the control button 68and the return of the reproducer 23 to its initial inoperative position,respectively. With the arrangement of parts above described, the chassisi3 supports all of the operating instrumentalities so that the entireunit can be removed for replacement or repair depending upon thedictates of commercial practice or the requirements of operation over anextended period.

Then, too, the reproducer 23 and stylus 25 is placed in operativeengagement with the record 2i through the mechanical instrumentalitiesresponsive to the actuation of the control button 68 that merelyinitiates rather than determines the extent 4of contact or engagementbetween the reproducer stylus 25 and the recordings on the record 2l.Consequently, the degree of engagement will be determined by thecounterbalanced reproducer 23 which can be controlled within a finedegree of operative Contact to either establish light or oatingengagement without impairment to the record 2l irrespective of thenumber of times the control button is :actuated.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinspecically described without departing from the invention or sacricingany of the advantages or features thereof, and nothing herein shall beconstrued as limitations of the invention, its concept or structuralembodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as dened in theappended claims.

I claim: 1. In a record reproducer mount, the combination with arotatively mounted supporting member, of a reproducer pivotallyconnected to said supporting member for free vertical mov-ement towardand from a record, a spring impelled member carried by said rotativelymounted support, a tubular camming member associated with Saidrotatively mounted support for reciprocable association therewith, therebeing an inclined slot in said tubular camming meniber to cooperate withsaid spring impelled member to horizontally rotate said reproducersupporting member to effect its return to an initial position afterbeing displaced for a predetermined horizontal extent along a recordgroove, spring means for normally urging said camming member upwardlyalong said support, and means for displacing said camming memberdownwardly against the urge of said last named spring means,

2. In a record reproducer mount, the combination with a rotativelymounted supporting member, of a reproducer pivotally connected to 'saidsupporting member for free vertical movement toward and from a record, aspring impelled member carried by said rotatively mounted support, atubular camming member associated with said rotatively mounted support,spring means for supporting said tubular camming member relative to saidreproducer support for reciprocable association therewith to cooperatewith said spring impelled member to horizontally rotate said reproducersupporting member to effect its return to an initial position afterbeing displaced for a predetermined horizontal extent, and a camfollower lever interposed between said reproducer and said tubularcamming member for controlling the vertical position of said reproducer.

3. In a record reproducer mount, the combination with a rotativelymounted supporting member, of a reproducer pivotally connected to saidsupporting member for free vertical movement toward and from a record, aspring impelled member carried by said rotatively mounted support, atubular camming member associated with said rotatively mounted support,spring means for supporting said tubular camming member relative t0 saidreproducer support for reciprocable association therewith, there beingan inclined slot in said tubular camming member to cooperate with saidspring impelled member to horizontally rotate said reproducer supportingmember to effect its return to an initial position after being displacedfor a predetermined horizontal extent, and a cam follower leverinterposed between said reproducer and said tubular camming member forcontrolling the vertical position of said reproducer.

4. In a record reproducer mount, the combination with a rotativelymounted supporting member, of a reproducer pivotallyfconnected to saidsupporting member for free vertical movement toward and from a record, aspring impelled member carried by said rotatively mounted support, atubular camming member associated with said rotatively mounted support,spring means for supporting said tubular member relative to saidreproducer support for reciprocable association therewith, there beingan inclined slot in said tubular camming member to cooperate with saidspring impelled member to horizontally rotate said reproducer supportingmember to effect its return to an initial position after beingdis-placed for a predetermined horizontal extent, a telescopic mount forsaid rotary reproducer support, means to prevent relative rotationbetween said telescopic mount and said tubular camming member, and meansfor manually displacing said camming member against the urge of saidspring means to lower said reproducer to playing position.

5. In a record reproducer mount, the combination with a rotativelymounted supporting member, of a reproducer pivotally connected to saidsupporting member for free vertical movement toward and from a record, aspring impelled member carried by said rotatively mounted support, atubular camming member associated with said rotatively mounted support,spring means for supporting said tubular member relative to saidreproducer support for reciprocable association therewith, there beingan inclined slot in said tubular camming member to cooperate with saidspring impelled member to horizontally rotate said reproducer supportingmember to eiect its return to an initial position after Vbeing displacedfor a predetermined horizontal extent, a telescopic mount for saidrotary reproducer support, means to prevent relative rotation betweensaid telescopic mount and said tubular .camming member, Aa lever pivotedto said supporting member to extend between said reproducer and saidcannning member, and manual control means for depressing said tubularcamming member relative to said telescopic mount against the urge ofsaid camming member spring supporting means.

6. In a control for a reproducer and the like, the combination with arecord support, of a reproducer to cooperate therewith, power means forrotating said record support, a rotary mount for said reproducer, avertical pivotal connection between said reproducer and said rotarymount, counterbalancing means detachably associated. with saidreproducer to provide for light gravity engagement with the record onsaid support, manual control means to permit the gravitation of saidreproducer into engagement with a record on said support, springimpelled cam actuator means for returning said reproducer to its initialinoperative position responsive to traversing a record for apredetermined extent, means responsive to said manual control means toenergize and defenergize said power means depending upon the position ofsaid reproducer, and a ldouble arm lever pivotally interposed betweensaid reproducer and said cam actuator to lower said reproducer toplaying position.

'7. In a control for a reproducer and the like, the combination with arecord support, of a reproducer to cooperate therewith, power means forrotating said record support, a rotary mount for said reproducer, avertical pivotal connection between said reproduoer and said rotarymount, manual control means to permit the gravitation of saidrepro'ducer into engagement with a record on said support, springimpelled cam actuator means for returning said reproducer to its initialinoperative position responsive to traversing a record for apredetermined extent, means responsive to the position of said camactuator to energize and de-energize said power means depending upon theposition of said reproducer, and a double arm lever pivotally interposedbetween said reproducer and said cam actuator to lower said reproducerto playing position.

, ANDREW R. JOHNSON.

